Going Further
Beyond the core: compounds, katakana, and how to keep growing.
Minihongo lets you go from thought to Japanese sentence without translating through another language. You can already describe any concept.
The journey doesn't end here. From this base, you can practice, pick up new words as you meet them, and learn new grammar patterns naturally.
書いた物を一つにする (Real Kanji Compounds)
Real Japanese words built entirely from kanji in the 206-word vocabulary.
Kanji have multiple readings. The same character can sound different in different words. Learn each compound as a whole word, not by combining individual readings.
人 (People)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 大人 | adult |
| 一人 | one person, alone |
| 二人 | two people |
| 男女 | men and women |
| 男子 | boy, male |
| 女子 | girl, female |
| 父母 | parents |
| 父子 | father and child |
| 母子 | mother and child |
| 長男 | eldest son |
| 長女 | eldest daughter |
| 新人 | newcomer |
| 本人 | the person in question |
| 他人 | stranger, others |
| 知人 | acquaintance |
| 名人 | master, expert |
| 悪人 | villain |
| 変人 | eccentric |
| 青年 | young man |
| 人生 | human life |
| 人物 | person, character |
| 人口 | population |
| 人手 | workforce, help |
| 人目 | public gaze |
| 日本人 | Japanese person |
| 外国人 | foreigner |
| 骨肉 | blood relations, flesh and bone |
| 腹心 | trusted confidant, right-hand person |
外の物 (Nature & Geography)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 大空 | vast sky |
| 青空 | blue sky |
| 大木 | large tree |
| 木立 | grove of trees |
| 火山 | volcano |
| 高山 | high mountain |
| 山道 | mountain path |
| 山中 | in the mountains |
| 山口 | mountain entrance |
| 近道 | shortcut |
| 国道 | national highway |
| 水道 | water supply |
| 水中 | underwater |
| 海水 | seawater |
| 海上 | on the sea |
| 大海 | great ocean |
| 大雨 | heavy rain |
| 大水 | flood |
| 大火 | great fire |
| 火口 | volcanic crater |
| 強風 | strong wind |
| 金山 | gold mine |
| 遠足 | excursion, field trip |
| 歩道 | sidewalk |
| 白鳥 | swan |
| 小犬 | puppy |
| 小魚 | small fish |
| 雨雲 | rain cloud |
| 水鳥 | waterbird |
空と時 (Sky & Time)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日光 | sunlight |
| 月光 | moonlight |
| 月夜 | moonlit night |
| 新月 | new moon |
| 月日 | time, the days |
| 今日 | today |
| 明日 | tomorrow |
| 前日 | the day before |
| 後日 | another day, later |
| 毎日 | every day |
| 毎月 | every month |
| 毎年 | every year |
| 新年 | new year |
| 長年 | long years |
| 年中 | all year round |
| 年上 | older (in age) |
| 年下 | younger (in age) |
| 年金 | pension |
| 日中 | daytime |
| 一日 | one day |
| 同時 | simultaneous, at the same time |
| 百年 | century |
| 百日 | one hundred days |
体 (Body)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 手足 | hands and feet |
| 右手 | right hand |
| 左手 | left hand |
| 右足 | right foot |
| 左足 | left foot |
| 耳目 | attention, eyes and ears |
| 目上 | superior, elder |
| 目下 | subordinate |
| 目前 | before one's eyes |
| 足音 | footsteps |
| 全体 | the whole |
| 大体 | roughly, mostly |
| 一体 | what on earth |
| 出血 | bleeding |
| 皮肉 | sarcasm, irony |
| 白髪 | white hair, gray hair |
| 犬歯 | canine tooth |
物 (Things)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 本物 | genuine article |
| 好物 | favorite food |
| 名物 | local specialty |
| 書物 | book, writings |
| 食物 | food |
| 作物 | crops |
| 生物 | living thing |
| 風物 | scenery, seasonal sights |
| 金物 | hardware, metalware |
| 着物 | kimono |
| 飲み物 | drink, beverage |
| 買い物 | shopping |
| 読み物 | reading material |
| 持ち物 | belongings |
| 物音 | sound (of something) |
| 見物 | sightseeing |
| 金魚 | goldfish |
| 鳥肉 | chicken (meat) |
| 魚肉 | fish meat |
| 肉食 | meat-eating, carnivorous |
| 生卵 | raw egg |
手 (Hand Compounds)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 手本 | model, example |
| 手前 | this side of, before |
| 上手 | skilled, good at |
| 下手 | clumsy, bad at |
| 切手 | postage stamp |
| 入手 | obtaining |
| 選手 | player, athlete |
| 助手 | assistant |
| 着手 | start, embark on |
入ると出る (In & Out)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 入口 | entrance |
| 出口 | exit |
| 出入 | going in and out |
| 入金 | payment, deposit |
| 出金 | withdrawal |
| 外出 | going out |
| 新入 | newly entered |
| 立入 | entering (as in 立入禁止) |
本と書く (Books & Writing)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日本 | Japan |
| 本名 | real name |
| 本心 | true feelings |
| 見本 | sample |
| 教本 | textbook |
| 読本 | reader, study book |
| 読書 | reading |
| 音読 | reading aloud |
| 新聞 | newspaper |
| 会話 | conversation |
国 (Country & State)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外国 | foreign country |
| 大国 | great power |
| 全国 | nationwide |
| 国立 | national (institution) |
| 国外 | outside the country |
| 国名 | country name |
| 海外 | overseas |
心と感じ (Mind & Feeling)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 中心 | center, core |
| 感心 | admiration |
| 感動 | being moved/impressed |
| 気持ち | feeling |
| 思い出 | memory |
| 同感 | agreement, sympathy |
動くと変わる (Movement & Change)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 動作 | movement, action |
| 変動 | fluctuation |
| 開始 | start, commencement |
| 開閉 | opening and closing |
| 始終 | from start to finish |
| 生死 | life and death |
| 出来事 | event, occurrence |
| 飛行 | flight, aviation |
| 同行 | going together, accompanying |
大きい (Big Compounds)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 大事 | important, precious |
| 大切 | important, dear |
| 大変 | terrible / very |
| 大金 | large sum of money |
| 大家 | landlord |
| 大使 | ambassador |
他 (Other)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 食事 | meal |
| 火事 | fire (disaster) |
| 知事 | governor |
| 金色 | gold color |
| 水色 | light blue |
| 音色 | tone, timbre |
| 木目 | wood grain |
| 名目 | nominal, in name only |
| 明白 | obvious, clear |
| 多少 | more or less |
| 外見 | appearance |
| 上着 | jacket, outer wear |
| 下着 | underwear |
| 雨音 | sound of rain |
| 一生 | lifetime |
| 生前 | while alive |
| 一目 | a glance |
| 一言 | one word |
| 頭金 | down payment |
| 小鳥 | small bird |
| 小石 | pebble |
| 小道 | path |
| 小雨 | light rain |
| 雲海 | sea of clouds |
| 百人 | a hundred people |
| 小人 | small person, dwarf |
| 水分 | moisture, water content |
| 多分 | probably, perhaps |
| 十分 | enough, sufficient |
他の言葉から来た言葉 (Loan Words)
Not part of the 206 base words. Foreign words used in daily life in Japan. You may already recognize many of them.
所と動く事 (Signs & Transport)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| トイレ | toilet / bathroom |
| エレベーター | elevator |
| エスカレーター | escalator |
| ホテル | hotel |
| レストラン | restaurant |
| スーパー | supermarket |
| コンビニ | convenience store |
| デパート | department store |
| ビル | building |
| バス | bus |
| タクシー | taxi |
| フロア | floor (of a building) |
食べ物と飲み物 (Food & Drink)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| コーヒー | coffee |
| ビール | beer |
| ワイン | wine |
| ジュース | juice |
| ミルク | milk |
| パン | bread |
| バター | butter |
| チーズ | cheese |
| サラダ | salad |
| スープ | soup |
| カレー | curry |
| ケーキ | cake |
| アイスクリーム | ice cream |
| チョコレート | chocolate |
| メニュー | menu |
| ランチ | lunch |
買う事 (Shopping)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| レジ | register / checkout |
| サイズ | size |
| レシート | receipt |
| カード | card |
| ポイント | point(s) |
| セール | sale |
| プレゼント | present / gift |
毎日の物 (Daily Objects)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| テレビ | television / TV |
| テーブル | table |
| ドア | door |
| ソファ | sofa |
| エアコン | air conditioner |
| カメラ | camera |
| ナイフ | knife |
| フォーク | fork |
| スプーン | spoon |
| コップ | glass / cup |
| ガラス | glass (material) |
体 (Health)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| マスク | mask |
| アレルギー | allergy |
| ストレス | stress |
| ワクチン | vaccine |
| ビタミン | vitamin |
する事と知る事 (Work & School)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| インターネット | internet |
| メール | |
| パソコン | personal computer |
| スマホ | smartphone |
| ノート | notebook |
| ペン | pen |
| テスト | test |
| ミーティング | meeting |
| スケジュール | schedule |
| コピー | copy |
気をつける言葉 (False Friends)
| Minihongo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| マンション | apartment (NOT mansion) |
| バイキング | buffet (NOT viking) |
| コンセント | electrical outlet (NOT consent) |
| カンニング | cheating on exam (NOT cunning) |
| スマート | slim / slender (NOT smart) |
| ナイーブ | sensitive / delicate (NOT naive) |
| テンション | excitement / energy (NOT tension) |
| クレーム | complaint (NOT claim) |
Live in the Language
To keep growing, consume native content: movies, books, music, conversations. Every real encounter teaches you something no textbook can.